Charleston quartet Schema played their first semi-official gig seven years ago on the Winter Solstice, so they thought there was no better way to celebrate their anniversary than by putting together a Solstice gig at the Pour House this year. And what's the secret to keeping a band together for seven years? Apparently, you've gotta break up for a spell. "We actually took a hiatus for a couple of years, starting around the beginning of 2014," says guitarist Ryan Bresnihan. "And then we got back together on the solstice a year ago. So it's our anniversary either way." The band plays a surprisingly effective blend of danceable funk and complex prog-rock, which they say comes from their dual purposes as a band. "We're trying to make a party happen whenever we play," Bresnihan says. "When it comes to live music, we want people to dance. And the progressive aspect of it comes from our taste in what we want to play. So, there's this baseline of funky stuff crossed with some prog-rock, and that's what we're going for in a nutshell." —Vincent HarrisWEDNESDAY

CHRISTMAS JAMS | DJ Tantrum Fri. Dec. 22
9:30 p.m.
$15-$40
Music Farm

It's the most wonderful time of the year for a dance party. Thanks to Summerville's own Harley Boys, the music for the evening will be just as much clubbing tracks as it will be holiday cheer. The tunes for Project Xmas, as it's called, will come from 99.3 The Box radio host DJ Tantrum, also known as Tivarius Thompson. "I'll be playing a mix of top 40s hip-hop, a little bit of EDM, a little bit of reggae," says DJ Tantrum. "I got a couple of Christmas remix-type songs that are good for a club." Who needs Bing Crosby when you've got Run-D.M.C.? Tantrum will be doing live remixes at the Music Farm show. "It's just me — whatever comes on the brain at the moment," says Thompson. —Heath EllisonFRIDAY

Sally & George is made up of Sol Driven Train's Joel Timmons and Shelby Means, formerly of bluegrass group Della Mae, who first met at the 2012 Bristol Rhythm Roots festival. One wild love story later, the Nashville-based duo released their debut, this year's tip my heart, which snagged a feature on NPR's First Listen. This week, the two dropped a new video for "Stowaway," filmed in part on the same beach in the Virgin Islands that the song was first written. The islands have become a special place for both Means and Timmons, and that's why they decided to organize a concert benefiting the area that is still suffering the aftermath of September's hurricanes. "We were shocked and heartbroken at the devastation of these islands from Hurricanes Irma and Maria," says Timmons. "We hope to raise some money for the people and businesses down there, and we encourage folks to book a trip to paradise." Thursday's Pour House benefit features Sally & George as well as the Dubplates, V-Tones, Lindsay Holler, Red Cedar Review, Mechanical River, Sounds of Sand, Jump Castle Riot, Churnstyles, the Lowhills, the Hungry Monks, and more. All proceeds go to Virgin Islands Relief Fund. —Kelly Rae Smith THURSDAY

People often forget (or don't know) about the ridiculous amount of Latin, jazz, and funk influences the Beastie Boys toyed with throughout their hit-packed discography. So who better to cover the iconic rap trio in all forms than a funk and prog band? Someone pass the mic to the Mantras. "We have three front vocalists and we have the same instrumentation that they do when they do their instrumental funk stuff," says Mantras guitarist Keith Allen. "It seemed like something that was kind of natural to us." The first half of the set for the evening will be original Mantras material, like "Knot Suite" and "Silas Brown," while the second half will see the guys holding it now and hitting it. Expect covers of the big hits from the early years ("Fight for your Right," "Girls") all the way through the late '90s ("Intergalactic"), along with some instrumental covers. Choosing the Beastie Boys as a tribute show should be a no-brainer, but the primary reason Allen says the band picked the Ill Communication creators was their significance to the Mantras. "It's something that we're all equally influenced by," he says. "If you grew up in that time period, you heard their music everywhere."
—Heath EllisonSATURDAY